The streaming of application programs over networks for execution on local computing devices is a considerably complex endeavor that allows for quick enjoyment of an application without having to first fully install the application. Most streaming solutions require modifications to the operating system, such as installing a specialized driver, before a program can be streamed. Once this is accomplished, at least an initial portion of the program is downloaded before it can be launched. The specialized driver assists in the background with retrieving additional portions of the program while the initial portion runs.
In general, the smaller the initial portion is, the less time it takes to launch the program. However, as the size of the initial portion of the program is reduced, the likelihood that the initial portion may need to jump to another portion of the program that has not yet been downloaded increases.
One solution handles this challenge by monitoring for page faults caused by such jumps. A memory manager responds to a page fault by requesting the relevant page from a file system. A specialized driver coupled with a streaming engine interacts with the file system to retrieve the page from a network location. The page is then provided to the file system and, in turn, to the memory manager. The relevant page is ultimately deposited in memory and the program can continue to run until the next page fault occurs, thereby triggering a repeat of the aforementioned process.